1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for reproducing information, an information recording medium and a reproduction program, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for carrying out a reproduction process of information such as musical information in a predetermined reproduction order, a reproduction program used for such a reproduction process and an information recording medium on which the reproduction program has been recorded so as to be readable by a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A developmental research of a portable musical information-reproducing device has recently been conducted extensively. With respect to such a device, there exists a musical information-reproducing device provided with a so-called hard disc (a magnetic disc) storage device in which a plurality of musical informations can be stored.
In the conventional musical information-reproducing device provided with such a hard disc storage device, an extended operative period of time of the portable reproducing device, which is given through a power supply unit such as batteries, is required.
In the light of such a fact, there have conventionally been adopted a reproduction system of transferring a musical information recorded on a hard disc storage device to a solid-state storage device such as a semiconductor memory in a data amount corresponding to a predetermined reproduction period of time, without causing the hard disc storage device, which requires a prescribed electric power for driving a hard disc, to always operate. In such a reproduction system, the musical information is read from the solid-state storage device to reproduce it, without operating the hard disc storage device for a while. When an amount of musical information, which has been recorded in the solid state storage device, but has not as yet been reproduced, decreases, the hard disc storage device is operated again to read the other musical information, which is to be reproduced subsequently to reproduction of the musical information that is now stored in the solid state storage device. The thus read other musical information is transferred to the solid-state storage device. These steps are repeated to carry out reproduction of the musical information.
In the above-described reproduction system, the musical information is erased from the solid-state storage device after completion of reproduction of the musical information, so as to be ready for a state in which the next musical information can be transferred.
Such an appropriate use of the hard disc storage device and the solid-state storage device copes with both the continuous reproduction of the musical information and operation of the power supply unit for a long period of time.
Such a musical information-reproducing device having the above-described structure has problems, which may occur in case where a so-called program reproduction is carried out to reproduce musical informations in a predetermined reproduction order. More specifically, in case where the reproduction order is different from the storing order in which informations have been stored in the hard disc storage device, and there is required reproduction of musical information, which has been programmed to carry out reproduction after reproduction of a plurality of the other musical informations, in preference to reproduction of them, a read processing of the musical information to be preferentially reproduced, from the hard disc storage device may be completed so late that the musical information in question cannot be reproduced immediately even when reproduction of the musical information, which is now reproduced, is completed.
The reason for occurrence of the above-mentioned problem is that the musical information to be reproduced is transferred to the solid-state storage device in the reproduction order in accordance with the originally programmed reproduction. Such a system cannot cope with the case where there is required reproduction of musical information in the different order from the reproduction order in the originally programmed reproduction.
In the above-described conventional musical information-reproducing device, the musical information is erased from the solid-state storage device after completion of reproduction of the musical information. If a user desires to reproduce again the musical information, which has already been reproduced, it is necessary to carry out a processing for reading the entirety of the musical information to be reproduced again, from the hard disc storage device and transferring it to the solid state storage device. Consequently, there may occur a problem that reproduction of the musical information to be reproduced again cannot be started immediately.
The above-mentioned problems result in occurrence of the other problem of deteriorating usability of the musical information-reproducing device.
An object of the present invention, which is made to solve the above-described problems, is therefore to provide an apparatus and method for reproducing information, which permit continuous reproduction of the information in a manner as desired so as to improve usability of the information reproducing apparatus, a reproduction program used for such reproduction and an information recording medium on which the reproduction program has been recorded so as to be readable by a computer.
In order to attain the aforementioned object, an apparatus for reproducing information of the first aspect of the present invention comprises:
a disc type storage device for storing a plurality of informations in a disc-shaped recording medium, each of said plurality of informations including a first partial information and a second partial information following said first partial information;
a solid-state storage device for storing the first partial informations of arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced of said plurality of informations;
a first partial information reading device for reading out the first partial information of at least one information of said arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced;
a first partial information reproduction device for reproducing the first partial information thus read out;
a second partial information reading device for reading out the second partial information of said at least one information during reproduction of said first partial information; and
a second partial information reproduction device for reproducing the second partial information thus read out.
According to the features of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to carry out the continuous reproduction of the musical informations without interruption, thus improving usability of the information reproducing apparatus.
In the second aspect of the present invention, said solid state storage device of the first aspect of the present invention may keep the first partial information stored even after reproduction of said second partial information. According to such a feature, if there is required reproduction of the information as already reproduced, the continuous reproduction of the musical information can be carried out without interruption.
In the third aspect of the present invention, said solid state storage device of the first aspect of the present invention may store not only the first partial information of the information, which is stored in the disc type storage device immediately before the information that is being reproduced, but also the first partial information of the information, which is stored in the disc type storage device immediately after the information that is being reproduced. According to such a feature, even when there is required reproduction of the information, which is stored immediately before or after the information that is being reproduced, it is possible to carry out continuous reproduction of the informations without interruption.
In the fourth aspect of the present invention, said solid state storage device of the first aspect of the present invention may store the first partial information of the informations to be reproduced on a basis of a predetermined reproduction order. Such a feature copes with a demand that continuous reproduction of the informations can be carried out based on the predetermined reproduction order without interruption.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, said solid state storage device of the first aspect of the present invention may store the first partial information of the informations to be reproduced on a basis of a random reproduction order. Such a feature copes with a demand that continuous reproduction of the informations can be carried out based on the random reproduction order without interruption.
In the sixth aspect of the present invention, preparation for reproduction of the second partial information of said at least one information may be completed during reproduction of the first partial information of the same at least one information, in the first aspect of the present invention. According to such a feature, it is possible to ensure continuity between the first partial information, i.e., the introduction and the second partial information, i.e., the music, thus permitting production of the information in an appropriate manner.
In the seventh aspect of the present invention, said disc type storage device of the first aspect of the present invention may comprise a hard disc; and said solid state storage device thereof may comprise a semiconductor memory. According to such features, a large amount of information can be stored and rapid starting of reproduction of the first partial information can be carried out.
In the eighth aspect of the present invention, said second partial information reproduction device of the first aspect of the present invention may reproduce the second partial information so that the second partial information follows the firs partial information.
In order to attain the aforementioned object, a method for reproducing information of the ninth aspect of the present invention comprises:
a first partial information storing step for storing, from a disc-shaped recording medium storing a plurality of informations, each including a first partial information and a second partial information following said first partial information, said first partial informations of arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced, into a solid state storage device;
a first partial information reading step for reading out the first partial information of at least one information of said arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced, from the solid-state storage device;
a first partial information reproduction step for reproducing the first partial information thus read out;
a second partial information reading step for reading out the second partial information of said at least one information from the disc-shaped recording medium during reproduction of said first partial information; and
a second partial information reproduction step for reproducing the second partial information thus read out.
According to the features of the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to carry out the continuous reproduction of the musical informations without interruption, thus improving usability of the information reproducing apparatus.
In the tenth aspect of the present invention, the first partial information may be kept stored in said solid state storage device in said first partial information storing step, even after reproduction of said second partial information, in the ninth aspect of the present invention. According to such a feature, if there is required reproduction of the information as already reproduced, the continuous reproduction of the musical information can be carried out without interruption.
In the eleventh aspect of the present invention, preparation for reproduction of the second partial information of said at least one information may be completed during reproduction of the first partial information of the same at least one information, in the ninth aspect of the present invention. According to such a feature, it is possible to ensure continuity between the first partial information, i.e., the introduction and the second partial information, i.e., the music, thus permitting production of the information in an appropriate manner.
In the twelfth aspect of the present invention, said second partial information reproduction step of the ninth aspect of the present invention may be carried out by reproducing the second partial information so that the second partial information follows the firs partial information.
In order to attain the aforementioned object, an information recording medium of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention has a reproduction program recorded therein so as to be readable by a computer, which is included in an information reproducing apparatus comprising a disc type storage device for storing a plurality of informations in a disc-shaped recording medium, each of said plurality of informations including a first partial information and a second partial information following said first partial information; and a solid state storage device for storing the first partial informations of arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced of said plurality of informations, wherein said reproduction program causes the computer to function as:
a first partial information reading device for reading out the first partial information of at least one information of said arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced;
a first partial information reproduction device for reproducing the first partial information thus read out;
a second partial information reading device for reading out the second partial information of said at least one information during reproduction of said first partial information; and
a second partial information reproduction device for reproducing the second partial information thus read out.
According to the features of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to carry out the continuous reproduction of the musical informations without interruption, thus improving usability of the information reproducing apparatus.
In the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, said solid state storage device may keep the first partial information stored even after reproduction of said second partial information, in the thirteenth aspect of the present invention. According to such a feature, if there is required reproduction of the information as already reproduced, the continuous reproduction of the musical information can be carried out without interruption.
In the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, preparation for reproduction of the second partial information of said at least one information may be completed during reproduction of the first partial information of the same at least one information, in the thirteenth aspect of the present invention. According to such a feature, it is possible to ensure continuity between the first partial information, i.e., the introduction and the second partial information, i.e., the music, thus permitting production of the information in an appropriate manner.
In the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, said second partial information reproduction device of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention may reproduce the second partial information so that the second partial information follows the firs partial information.
In order to attain the aforementioned object, a reproduction program of the seventeenth aspect of the present invention so as to be readable by a computer, which is included in an information reproducing apparatus comprising a disc type storage device for storing a plurality of informations in a disc-shaped recording medium, each of said plurality of informations including a first partial information and a second partial information following said first partial information; and a solid state storage device for storing the first partial informations of arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced of said plurality of informations, is characterized in that said reproduction program causes the computer to function as:
a first partial information reading device for reading out the first partial information of at least one information of said arbitrarily selected informations to be reproduced;
a first partial information reproduction device for reproducing the first partial information thus read out;
a second partial information reading device for reading out the second partial information of said at least one information during reproduction of said first partial information; and
a second partial information reproduction device for reproducing the second partial information thus read out.
According to the features of the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to carry out the continuous reproduction of the musical informations without interruption, thus improving usability of the information reproducing apparatus.
In the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, said solid state storage device may keep the first partial information stored even after reproduction of said second partial information, in the seventeenth aspect of the present invention. According to such a feature, if there is required reproduction of the information as already reproduced, the continuous reproduction of the musical information can be carried out without interruption.
In the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, preparation for reproduction of the second partial information of said at least one information may be completed during reproduction of the first partial information of the same at least one information, in the seventeenth aspect of the present invention. According to such a feature, it is possible to ensure continuity between the first partial information, i.e., the introduction and the second partial information, i.e., the music, thus permitting production of the information in an appropriate manner.
In the twentieth aspect of the present invention, said second partial information reproduction device of the seventeenth aspect of the present invention may reproduce the second partial information so that the second partial information follows the firs partial information.
In the present invention, the xe2x80x9cfirst partial informationxe2x80x9d means a portion of the information and the xe2x80x9csecond partial informationxe2x80x9d means the remaining portion thereof. Any one of the xe2x80x9cfirst partial informationxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9csecond partial informationxe2x80x9d does not define an amount of information.